Water transport or ferry for automobiles and other self-propelled vehicles



Feb. 19 1924.

W. F. BEATTY WATER TRANSPORT OR FERRY FOR AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER SELF PROPELLED VEHICLES Filed July 7, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTO/P/VfX Feb. 19 1924.,

' W. F. BEATTY WATER TRANSPORT on FERRY FOR AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER SELF PROPELLED VEHICLES Filed July 7, 1921 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM I. BEAT'IY,

v "1,484,109 PATENT OFFICE.

F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

WATER 'rnANsroR'r on FERRY roe AUTOMOBILES-AND ocrnna snnr-rnornunn VEHICLES. j

Application filed July 7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. BEATTY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water Transports 0r Ferries for Automobiles and Other Self-Propelled Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to water transports, ferries, or barges having no motive-power of their own but are adapted to be temporarily installed with portable, motor or electric driven land automobiles or the like that are on the way, as it were, or in transit, so that freight or passengers can be carried or transported onwardly and forwardly Without unloading same from the auto-truck between its initial point of receipt and loading and its unloading destination that must be reached by crossing land and water alike, regardless of bridges, engine-propelled fer ries, or fords at regular crossings, or at unfrequented crossings that might tend to shorten the journey or make the trip of, the truck shorter and otherwise more conveniently and economically accomplished. The object herein is-intended to use the invention for short hauls very largel owingv to the already well-known and esta lished fact that the auto or motor truck is a time, money and labor saver, and that, when once loaded, its driver travels or advances as usual over land until he reaches a water-course or a body of water, of gr'eater'or less depth, thatmust be crossed, then he drives the auto-v truck on the motorless barge, provided here'- 7 in and covered hereby, at any regular'l'and ing-place, or at animprovised one,y as the case may be, draws in the barge fastening lines or ropes and connects or couples his truck up with the paddle-wheels or suitable propellers on the barge so that said paddlewheelsor' propellers can be operated or-put into motion by the engine-power of the 'truck and "rudders used at the opposite ends ,bf theibargeor watercraft-whereby it can be steered byrnans fof tliejst'eering gear of -fthe trcuekijust astho'u'glr the latter were be- I 11gQused and-operated1 on.land, and,-on ariving: at'sth'ef'desired landing-place across.-

the stream or body of water, or along the shore where a landing is provided or can be made, the barge is adapted to be suitablyanchored, or otherwise held or lashed to the 'water-power in a moments time.

1921. Serial No. 483,068.

shore, so that the truck can proceed on its way overland again or discharged or unloaded at that point if that be its destination, and being then ready for the returntrip with a reload.

' Another object is to allow the t-ruckman to drive onto the barge and drive from it without necessity of turning the barge around, it being furnished withguidingrudders at its opposite ends, as before stated,

,- Anotherquite important ObJect-of the inpelled transporting barge ferry gar-barg for freight I and pleasure vehicles 'alike,-' thati vention is, to provide an auto-truok-pro-f.

can be used to great advantage on11stifllg water as well as on runnin water or flowing rivers or streams, and wit out "it beingnee-1.

.essary to install a motor on the; said water craft. Such object would easily include under it the use of the transport or barge, herein for military. purposes and for floods, and imore especially for" shallow water, aeross marshes and the like, and, also, where bridges are down and being repaired;

It canbe used to great advantage in'traversingcanals andlike inland waterways," to go singly, or to ull or to push one or more trai ers, floats,

i'ghters, or barges, that' have-no power of their own thereon, "and tothereby "accommodate and carry large:

quantities of freight and. numbers of 'passengers, allauto or electrictrucka 5 x v Still another advantage'gained the use of the aut'o-truck on abarge-Io rfloat is that detours can be readily madethereby when roads are impassable-or. :inlb ad' condition,

with but the power of a single saving on wheel tires during, such float transportation and other-wear and tear on the auto-truck outside ofthe use of the steering-gear and its engine. Quite another advantage is gained in, the use of the auto-truck on the barge by'saving the dismounting of the autodriver from his mapower is savedwhen running downstream,

and, to go upstream, instead of going direct against the current, tacking back and-forth across the stream may be resorted to, simi lar to sailing against the wind either up or down stream. Besides, roads themselves are largely saved in moving heavy loads of freight on auto-trucks that are mounted and operated on transport barges and floats as herein provided.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation showing the side of the auto-carrying barge or transport herein, and including an autotruck in position thereon, headed to the left in the View, the same direction as that of the barge; Fig. 2, a transverse section taken on an axial-line of the wheel-propellers to the right, in Fig. 1, but omitting the autotruck; Fig. 3, a detail perspective view of on of the compensating swivel or turntable blocks used to accommodate the fore or guiding wheels of the auto-truck when it is on the transporting-barge and adapted to be connected with the rudder-operating mechanism on the barge; Fig. at, a plan view of Fig. 1, but, also, omitting the autotruck; and Fig. 5, a detail elevation of the emergency hand-propelling mechanism used on the barge foremergency movement or landing of the transfer-barge, especially when no auto-truck is present on its deck, or as otherwise desired; and Fig. 6, a detail inverted plan view of the clutch used in the emergency screw-propeller operating-device shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.

A indicates on ordinary engineless barge, ferry, or float, having side-walls B, endwalls C, bottom D and deck or platform E, the said end-walls sloping or retreating inwardly, as shown in Fig. 1 and as customary in such flat-boat or flat-bottomed structures of the barge or float type.

F indicates an ordinary automobile-truck that are provided in the side-walls B, as

best shown in Fig. 2.

10, 10 indicate a spaced pair of bearingboxes each one being provided at the lower end of a pendent-bracket 11, the latter being suitably secured to the bottom of the deck or platform E of the transport-barge,

.rection desired. "The sp and a parallel shaft12 is arranged above each of the shafts 8, beneath the platform, to carry a transverse corrugated or rubberfaced roller 13 located in an opening 14: just below the level of the underface of the platform, all as best shown in Fig. 2. A companion corrugated or rubber-faced roller 15 horizontally-parallels the roller 13 in each of the openings 14: and is carried by a shaft 1.2 similar to the shaft 12' and likewise j ournaled in the bracket 11. T he inner ends of the corrugated-roller shafts journal in brackets 16 secured to the underside of the platform, also as best shown in Fig. 2. Companion spur-gears 17 and 18, that do not intermesh, are mounted on the corrugated-roller shafts, adjacent the inner faces of the side-walls B of the barge, and a third spur-gear 19 is mounted on the short-shaft 8 of each side-propeller wheel for meshing with the said several pairs of companion spur-gears 17 and 18, andthe side-propeller wheels of the barge may be operated independent of each other, for making 'short turns or the like, by means of hand-lever actuated clutch-devices 20, also as best shown in Fig. 2. When the auto-truck-is in place on the deck or platform of the barge its rear or driving wheels H rest in the hollow or crotch between the companion pairs of corrugated rollers 13, 15, the latter not touchingeach other and both being thus actuated in the same direction and causing the same direction of rotation to the companion spur-gears 17 and 18 that combine their power in their meshing-contact with the spur-gear 19 on each side-propeller wheel shaft 8 todrive it by means of the power derived from the engine of the autotruck.

The treads of the rear auto-truckwheels drop into the openings 14 ofthe platform which they clear, so that -theycan revolve free from contact withthe platform, and to. v

properly support thefauto-truck at its'rearend free from contact with-theplatform-and so that the said rear-wheels caniconvert'gor pair, of side-wheels for propelling; e ,tra-n fer-barge orv transportation floatl of course, controll'edor I erator in the auto-truckgthe same a t K i the latter when moving'on 131i M stopping and starting of-thebar'ge. trolled from the same source.- 8 i In steering the barge, the fore-wheels 1 the auto-truck are adapted to rest in open,

oval-shape shoes or boxes 21 that rest and turn in circular openings 22 made in longitudinally-slidable blocks 22 that engage elongated openings 22 in the platform or deck E between the four rectangular rolleropenings14 and the opposite ends of the said platform as best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and to allow for different-spaced fore and rear wheels of the truck taken on the barge. Roller or ball bearings23, best seen in Fig. 3 are preferred in the circular bottom or turn-table 24 of each shoe-support 21 in order to facilitate the ready adjustment of the shoe-supports to suit the position of the said fore-wheels of the truck on the barge platform when the truck is being run into such position .on the platform ready for the advance movement of the barge in the desired direction, and, also, for the ready rotation of the turn-tables when the forewheels of the truck are in place thereon and adapted to clear the surface of the platform on rotating the steering-wheel L for swiveling the said fore-wheels while the truck is on the deck of the barge and to direct or guide the latter through the action of rudders 25 preferably at both ends of the barge and that are controlled by means of the several cables or ropes 26 and 27, such cables being counterparts of each other and made in like lengths whose opposite ends are each connected with an eye 28 (Fig. 3) at one end of one of the side-members or uprightjaws of one of the said open shoes or boxes 21 at one side of the platform and passed over a pair of idlers 30, 30, at one end of the platform; then passed mid-length over grooved pulleys 29, (dotted in Figs. 1 and 4) and thence crossed beneath the center of the-platform and with the other end of the cable connected with the eye 28 of the companion open shoe or box 21 alined therewith at the same end,of the barge as the firstnamed shoe 21. The opposite ends of the said cables 26 and 27 pass outward or upward through holes 31 made in the platform so as to reach the upturned-eyes 28 on the shoes that lie close to said holes. (See Fig. 4.) Idlers 32 are mounted beneath the holes 31 for properly directing the'cables to the eyes 28 without undue frictional-contact with the platform.

A clutch-device 33 (Fig. 6) is provided beneath the companion pairs of rollers 13 and 15 for connection with the companion transmissions of a pinion-and-shaft gear 33 (dotted in Fig. 4) for using the screw-propellers 34 independent of each other, to couple with the roller devices and thereby accelerate themovement of the transport-barge in transit. The clutches are each provided with an actuating-arm 35 (Fig. 6) having an eye 36 adapted to receive the end of a pull-rope (not shown) leading to any suitable source convenient to the operator of the barge who may be the auto-truck driver himself, and which is ordinarily intended, or by an attendant of the barge.

Landing-bridges or drop-stagings 37 'are provided at both ends of the barge, (Figs. 1

and 4),'and duly hinged in place'so that they can be carried in upright position (to the left in Fig. 1) when the barge is in transit, and adjusted in lowered position (to the right in Fig. 1) when the barge is ashore and ready torun the auto-truck thereupon and therefrom.

A spring-presser arm 38 is provided on To actuate the barge by hand in case of' emergency, which is both possible and probable, especially when no truck is aboard and no other motive power is present, a handwheel 39 is arranged at the middle of each of the two side-walls B, B, of the barge, and its shaft has a sprocket-wheel 40 thereon, together with a pendent-arm 41, the latter being adapted to swing on said shaft away from a perpendicular line for due adjustment in connection with a train of gearand-sprocket devices J and K at both sides of a sprocket-wheel L that is mounted at the lower end of the said pendent-arm 41 and whereby the transversely-alined pairs of paddle-wheels are actuated at either end of the barge, and in either direction, so as to suit the direction of movement of the barge. The adjustment of the said pendent-arm 41 is effected by swinging it on its axis to the right or left, as the case may be, to suit the pair of paddle-wheels that are to be used, and said pendent-arm is held in adjusted position by means of the projecting slottedarm 42 that is secured in place on the inner face of the vertical-extensions M of the sidewalls B of the barge by means-of set-screws or bolts 43. The two trains J and K mentioned (see Fig. 5) are suitably coupled with said screw-propeller shaft 44 for rotating the latter when desired, so that either one of said screw-propellers 34 can be rotated by turning either one of the hand-wheels 39 at the sides of the platform. The shaft 44 journals at its opposite ends in the bearing-boxes 10, 10, at the lower ends of the pendent brackets 11, 11, as best seen in Fig. 2.

Fenders 45, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, are provided over the paddle-wheels for their usual protective purposes.

I claim 1. In an auto-driven water-craft for transporting and ferrying automobiles and other self-driven vehicles, the combination of a barge, float, or ferry having a deck or platform adapted to directly receive the said self-driven vehicle from either end thereof and that is to be transported, or moved on running or on still water on the way to its &

destination, embarking and debarking means on said platform at opposite ends thereof, propeller-wheels on said water-craft, pairs of rollers mounted beneath the level of said platform for each of said propeller-wheels at both ends of the craft and adapted to support the driving-wheels of the said selfdriven vehicle out of contact with said platform when the vehicle has entered from either end thereof, independent sets of gears connecting said sub-surfaced rollers with the said propeller-wheels at opposite ends of the craft, engine-means on said self-driven vehicle adapted to drive said propellerwheels in either direction, swivel or turntable shoe-supports mounted on said platform adjacent each pair of driving-Wheel sub-surfaced supports and adapted to accommodate the fore-wheels of said vehicle in either direction, steering-means on the said vehicle adapted to actuate the said swivel shoe-supports in steering the said craft, rudders at both ends of said craft, and cable-and-pulley devices or means interposed between the said swivel shoe-supports and the said rudders for guiding the craft, in either direction, through the medium of the said steering-means on said vehicle, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an auto-driven water-craft for receiving and transporting automobiles and other self-driven vehicles, the combination of a barge, float or other water-craft having a deck or platform adapted to directly relevel for actuating each of said propellerwheels at opposite ends of the craft and adapted to otherwise support the drivingwheels of said vehicle out of contact with said platform, independent sets of coacting gears connecting the said sub-surfaced rollers with said propeller-wheels at opposite ends of-the craft, engine-means on the vehicle adapted to drive said propeller-wheels on the craft in either direction, swivel shoesupports on the platform adjacent the several driving-wheel sub-surfaced supports and adapted to accommodate the fore-wheels of the vehicle at opposite ends of the craft in either directionijitiliereof, steering means on the vehicle adapted to actuate the said swivel shoe-supports in steering the craft,

rudders at both ends of the craft, guiding means between the said swivel shoe-supports and the said rudders, and auxiliary or emergency manual-power driving means on the ferry for propelling or moving the craft when no self-propelled vehicle is present thereon or the vehicle is unusable though.

present thereon, substantially as shown and described.

WILLIAM F. BEATTY. 

